There is growing evidence of the effectiveness of machine learning (ML) algorithms in health care. It has found application in the areas of heart disease and diabetes along with some rare diseases. However, the predictive ability of ML has not been tested in identifying the risk of childhood post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Identifying PTSD risksRead more

Purposeful Parenting Month: How parents can help with teen drug addiction

Teen years are a glorious time for some who are to make new friends, form social circles, develop new interests and create a new identity for themselves. But for some, the picture may be grim. The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be a turbulent period characterized by considerable physical, emotional and behavioral changes. DuringRead more

Depression, one of the most common mood disorders, affects not only people’s emotional well-being but also the way their brain functions. The three main parts of the brain affected by depression are the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and amygdala. The hormone, cortisol, which is regulated by the hippocampus, surges in depression patients, leading to mood andRead more

Addiction risk higher among teens at elite schools, says study

Parents usually enroll children in elite schools with a view to provide them the best education and experience including equipping them with the tools necessary to lead a good life and protecting them from unwanted or unsuitable environments. However, a recent study seems to challenge this notion and prove that privilege is not equal toRead more

Adolescents with incarcerated parents are at higher risk of mental disorders

Adolescent years are not as fun-filled and carefree as one would like to believe. In reality, teens often face several stressful situations during this critical phase of their lives. Added to this if the parents are incarcerated, the extent of challenges faced by the teens go up significantly. Adolescents with one or both parents inRead more

Parents of a Texas teenager who committed suicide on July 8, 2017 are blaming their son’s death on a gruesome online game “Blue Whale Challenge,” which targets vulnerable teens and young adults by connecting with them on social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. The 15-year-old, Isaiah Gonzalez, was found hanging in hisRead more

Preliminary symptoms of depression in teens

Teen years are the most demanding years in an individual’s life. It is during these years that the teen adopts habits that would frame his/her personality and define the type of an individual that the teen would grow up to be. Apart from being an experimental stage, these years are also vulnerable as they holdRead more

Teens deal with a wide variety of issues during adolescence, including physical and emotional changes, peer pressure, high expectations from parents and the search for a unique identity. In many cases, such issues can increase stress levels. For adolescents suffering from body image and weight-related issues, the stress may lead to the development of mentalRead more

Study links sleep-disordered breathing to teen depression

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses that affect thousands of people around the world. Stress during teen years is one of the key contributing factors to depressive symptoms in young children. Now, a new research presented at SLEEP 2017, the 31st annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) held inRead more

PTSD in children can be treated in a few hours, says study

It is a common belief that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects only war veterans, however, it’s a condition that can develop in anyone who experiences a traumatic incident including children. Previous research has shown the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EDMR) or trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat PTSD in adults. SoRead more

Reviews

We would like to thank all the wonderful staff at WRA for the great parent weekend. We enjoyed it and felt that we learned valuable insights on Positive Peer Culture and the values we must have and the importance of family commitment to each other...